I think your proa sails very good. It seems fast and well behaved. There is not much wake from any hull. I did not like the strange pointy rocker of your barge-ama, but I got really impressed by it in your last video.Nice dramatic video of flipping the proa upside down.
Have you tried reefing the aft sail when there is to much wind? Maybe even sailing with only the forward sail?

Thanks for making these really interesting and instructive videos.
Please keep them coming.

Cheers,
Johannes

Johannes - 01 September 2013 11:58 AM

I think your proa sails very good. It seems fast and well behaved. There is not much wake from any hull. I did not like the strange pointy rocker of your barge-ama, but I got really impressed by it in your last video.Nice dramatic video of flipping the proa upside down.
Have you tried reefing the aft sail when there is to much wind? Maybe even sailing with only the forward sail?

Thanks for making these really interesting and instructive videos.
Please keep them coming.

Cheers,
Johannes

Johannes

The Ama is an over ambitious carry over from TP02, I had visions of trapezing off the gunwale, the ama flying above the water and skimming off the water on touch down. I would do it much differently if I was building another. Both sails are reef able it got windier than expected quite quickly, fun day mind.

Tink

Great videos! It’s really starting to come together now.
-Thomas

Have had a few days to percolate over Sunday’s sail thought I would jot down a few notes mainly for my benefit,

Short term jobs
Front sail sheeting, make 2:1 with ratchet block, keep centre sheeted WHY more control and able to pull tighter reducing twist.
Rear sail sheeting, return to on hull sheeting and end of boom sheeting, remove sheeting outriggers WHY better control and the sheeting outriggers are weak.
Down haul, improve cleating WHY tends to slip
Fix position of seating platform, WHY can move about a bit.
Extend righting line WHY little too short

Medium term jobs
Hull strength, add epoxy/glass to centre section WHY 4mm ply hull panels flex when stood on in capsized position
Ama, new or add bows to the existing one WHY to see if it reduces the tendency to back wind.
Mast, make rotating WHY the rig suffers with tension changing as it moves around the mast in the shunt. This should normally be about 180degrees, however if he becomes back winded this can increase drastically. I would say this is the only big issue with TP03. I have thought about if another rig would be better and concluded not. The lug rig is very simple to use and limits the movement of the CE from shunt to shunt.

With open meetings and courses at the club there are very limited windows to sail in September. The whole October is free but in NE England weather can start to be an issue. The club closes at the start of November.

Tink

TINK - 01 September 2013 10:35 AM

No big report today, it was blowing a lot more than I had been out before with big gusts

Tink

Nice video, hadn’t thought about having a chase boat, but Susie enjoys a good laugh and could probably be talked into a little time at lake, particularly if we get there while it’s still warm enough to waterski.

TP03 seems to accelerate well particularly for a relatively low-tech craft early in development.

One question, any thoughts on possibility of masthead float(s)? Most of the water here along the Texas coast is pretty shallow and I’d like to avoid going over mare than 100 degrees or so, repairing busted rigs not high on my wish list.

cheers,
Skip

Skip - 03 September 2013 06:03 PM

One question, any thoughts on possibility of masthead float(s)? Most of the water here along the Texas coast is pretty shallow and I’d like to avoid going over mare than 100 degrees or so, repairing busted rigs not high on my wish list.

cheers,
Skip

Mast float would help but due to the relatively short rig may need to be quite big. I would want them to sink eventually. I had on fitted to my IC once and with the seat in the air sailed away from me much faster than I could sail, the proa would do the same. Better damaged mast than no boat.

The chase boat is just the club rescue boat, press ganged into being film crew.

How is the shoulder doing?

Tink

TINK - 03 September 2013 10:56 PM

How is the shoulder doing?

Tink

I’m discovering the true meaning of “slow incremental improvement”. Doc still has my rehab confined to range of motion work only. Shoulder is slowly improving emphasis on slowly. Can’t legitimately complain too much but still piss and moan when I can 😉

Think I’ll start back finishing the broomstick this weekend am close to being able to crawl around on hand and knees to lay out and tape the first two experimental sails.

Hows your shoulder?

Skip

Skip - 03 September 2013 11:32 PM

Think I’ll start back finishing the broomstick this weekend am close to being able to crawl around on hand and knees to lay out and tape the first two experimental sails.

Hows your shoulder?

Skip

Hi Skip
Hope you get back to broomstick this weekend. My collar bone is fixed the shoulder benefits from exercise but then stiffens up if I don’t get to use it. Still some limited movement at the extremities, 7 months in from my accident.

Tink

Had a bit of a brainwave over the weekend. The lee board of the TP03 is not designed to operate when backwinded, it will just float when backwinded. Therefore when he starts to get backwinded there will be a rapid change in CLR causing havoc. Going to look at rerigging it at the weekend put frustratingly at least 3 weeks before I wil be sailing

Tink

TINK - 09 September 2013 05:04 AM

Had a bit of a brainwave over the weekend. The lee board of the TP03 is not designed to operate when backwinded, it will just float when backwinded. Therefore when he starts to get backwinded there will be a rapid change in CLR causing havoc. Going to look at rerigging it at the weekend put frustratingly at least 3 weeks before I wil be sailing

Tink

Ideas keep coming, changing the way the control is rigged. Board automatically pulled forward by a bungee, this should keep the craft luffed. The helm then pulls backwards the board to contoll. if you sail with the aft sail cleated, the fore sail is pulled in and off you go. Pull board aft to bear away, release and will luff. Hope that makes sense, does in my head, working on how to make this happen very simply, have a few schemes.

Tink

I have dreamt of today for thirty years. Out in the TP03 force 5 gusting six. Flying along with the sails reefed the outrigger just skimming the waves, awesome. What a way to end his last sail, I have dismantled him and he awaits the bonfire. Next season back to the international canoe.

I have achieved everything I wanted to do and ended my 30year itch.

I am sure many of you will be asking why such a drastic end, well:
➡️ the area of the world and my lake is not good for proas, it is a choice of an unforgiving sea or a small crowded lake with a very limited window of sailing days each year
➡️ the vaka has had a hard life and starting to disintegrate under loads in places it was designed to take them
➡️ the next development requires new professional sails, I am not prepared to spend the money on something that ultimately fail structurally quite soon
➡️ I just fancy getting back to competive sailing in my IC, or proa without the outrigger

I will try and write a full report an thoughts on where I would go next.

I am very happy that with TP02 (counter rotating rudders) and TP03 ( adjustable leeboard schooner rig) I have proved two alternative practical proa concepts

Cheers

Tink

Sometimes its time for a bonfire.

Thanks for sharing your experimentation with us.

chris

Yes, thanks for sharing! We’ve long been fascinated by the potential of this proa configuration, which you have proven to work. Enjoy the bonfire, and best of luck to you with the IC.

TP04
If I was to build another proa what would he be like. It would be a few developments rather than a major rethink. Firstly the function, simple (car top) cruising day sailor.
Basic configuration still lug rigged schooner, keep the the fore / aft adjustable leeboard.

Construction similar 4mm ply, box / sharpie vaka, 3 ply bulkheads and foam bulkheads. Add glass sheathing on the middle 2meters, reason impact damage from falling onto vaka, bottom felt too flexible when stood on bottom righting from inverted.

Vaka, sit in style with double bottom, reason; more comfortable, weight inboard to lower loading of ama.

Seating area, make span from aka to aka (2meters) reason, allows weight further aft to help off wind. Add simple back rest to windward side, reason; stops falling off the platform and through the vaka and improve sailing comfort.

The leeboard, works well up wind and close reaching, off wind was more difficult. Being able to move further aft would help this, the stern went down with the narrow platform. Add a down wind steering oar and experiment with an easy aft pivoting board (with the control set up on TP03 it was hard to adjust board angle under way). Modify leeboard so it provides lift when back winded. On TP03 the board just floated when backwinded. Reason, lack on lift from the board may have contributed to control issued when back winded.

General improvement of the control line ergonomics but in generally he just self steered.

Ama, full round section, long and thin, keep the drag to a minimum. Reason try and prevent back winding.

So not any major changes, I was generally very happy with TP03, I just wish I had more time and lived somewhere more suitable for proa sailing

Tink